


Strawberry Wine

by Apparentlynotreallyfinnish



Series: Prompted ficlets [33]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, First Kiss, M/M, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 06:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21731488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish/pseuds/Apparentlynotreallyfinnish
Summary: While promoting Bleak Creek, an interviewer presents Rhett and Link a video of young Rhett singing what is clearly a love song - a love song about a man.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Series: Prompted ficlets [33]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1359064
Comments: 7
Kudos: 72





	Strawberry Wine

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by my lovely friend Ross (@mythical-Ross) on Tumblr. <3 She had a very clear vision about this story and I want to thank her again for letting me write this!

Rhett shifted in his seat as the interviewer and his small crew were setting up around them. Rhett’s back was aching from sitting too long on the uncomfortable couch, and the hunger that has been gnawing at his insides for a while now had just audibly announced itself to the room. Jenna seemed to notice Rhett’s discomfort because she got up and walked to him. She leaned down to brush off invisible lint from his shoulder and whispered, “This is the last one.”

Rhett gave her a small grateful smile and trained his attention to the interviewer. He was a young guy, probably in his early twenties. Rhett had already forgotten where the guy had said he was from, but by his appearance, Rhett could guess it was some kind of a website – something young and hip and trendy. Exactly the type of site they wanted writing about Bleak Creek.

“Okay, you guys ready to start?” the interviewer asked. Rhett glanced at Link, whose smile was wide but tight around the edges – he was tired too. 

“Let’s go,” Rhett said jovially as Link nodded in agreement.

The interviewer launched into his intro with way too much energy for Rhett’s liking. The questions were all boilerplate – stuff they’d already answered dozens if not hundreds of times during the press tour of Bleak Creek. In a way, Rhett was thankful. The answers flowed out of him without much effort, and the carefully rehearsed give and take with Link shone brightly despite their weariness.

“Okay. Great! One more thing I wanted to talk to you about. Actually, it’s something I wanted to show you. Our researchers found an interesting video. Here, let me…” the guy said, setting up a laptop in front of them. He looked almost giddy, and Rhett frowned, wondering which of their videos could elicit that strong of a reaction.

A blurry image of a guy with a guitar filled the screen. Rhett stared at it for a beat, confused. It was clearly him, but it wasn’t any of their usual sets. He looked impossibly young with his cropped hair and barely bearded face.

“What’s this?” Link asked, curiously leaning towards the laptop.

“Our researchers found a deleted Myspace page saved up on one of those vault sites. It appears to be Rhett’s, yes?” he asked, looking at Rhett expectantly. Rhett nodded slowly as the image started to move. Young Rhett was strumming the guitar. There was a chill creeping inside Rhett now, making him weak and a bit nauseous. This couldn’t be…

“Really?” Link asked with a crooked smile, glancing at Rhett. “I didn’t know you had a Myspace page.”

Young Rhett was singing, but no sound came from the laptop. The interviewer cursed, and his hand shot to turn up the volume.

_No! Oh, no. No, no, no._

Rhett was trying to make his limbs move. He waited for his fight or flight response to kick in, but he was stuck inside his immobile body, staring at the screen. He needed to shut this down before –

“ _…of his eyes. Lips red and moon kissed…_ ” young Rhett sang from the laptop speakers. His voice was shaky but deep and full of emotion. Present Rhett was still frozen in place. His heart was thrumming in his ears, and he wondered if one could faint from panic.

“ _…made me so weak, but it was the blue that got me and threw me into the deep. And I wished he was mine, that night we –_ “

The video stopped. Rhett felt numb as he stared at Link’s long, slender fingers on the space bar.

“Oh, this one!” Link said as if he knew what he was talking about. “God, Rhett, you really didn’t know how to use your voice back then,” Link said with a burst of affable laughter, playfully nudging Rhett’s side. Even as confused and panicked as Rhett felt, he realized that Link was trying to save him. He forced out a laugh that sounded more like a hoarse cackle.

The interviewer was watching them like a hawk, and Rhett saw his hand move towards the laptop. Finally, Rhett’s self-preservation instincts kicked in, and he slammed the laptop closed. The interviewer almost got his hand caught and jerked back. Rhett smiled at him, trying to look playful, but feared that his expression was probably more on the manic side. He coughed and let out a measured chuckle.

“Well, that was a blast from the past. Yeah, a friend of ours wanted to surprise her boyfriend with a song. But she wasn’t much of a composer, so Link and I helped her with that. She wrote the lyrics.”

“Oh,” the interviewer said, his face falling. “So, this was not about–?”

“You know what?” Link interrupted him. “I think Sarah is still with the guy.”

“Really? That’s nice. Good for her. They were a lovely couple,” Rhett mused.

“Okay. Well, I guess, that’s all…” the interviewer barely got out before Rhett was already getting up and with a hasty goodbye, rushed to the door. Link followed close behind as they left the conference room the hotel had provided. Jenna could barely keep up as they strode to the elevators.

Rhett was stealing glances at Link all the way up to their floor, wondering if he’d heard enough to know. If he’d made the connection. If he finally _knew_. But Link was closed off, no emotion showing on his face. A slight twitch at the corner of his lips was the only thing Rhett could see, but it told him nothing. 

When the elevator doors opened, Link walked past Rhett, colliding with his side with surprising force. Rhett was pushed aside and had to rub his arm that had gotten a sharp jab from Link’s elbow. There was no apology, and the panic Rhett had felt when the video started playing gripped him again.

“Do you want me to order you guys some dinner?” Jenna asked as she followed Link out of the elevator. She’d been looking at her phone and missed Link’s strangely violent departure.

“Ummm. I think we’ll just order some room service and head to bed. Long day,” Rhett mumbled, distracted by his pounding heart and Link’s receding back.

“Okay. See you tomorrow,” Jenna chirped and turned the other way to head to her room. 

Link was already inside their room when Rhett reached the open door. He followed in gingerly. Link was standing at the far end of the room, trying to get his jean jacket off with angry tugs. His whole body was strung tight – muscles tense and posture abnormally straight. He was about to go off. Rhett could see it clear as day. 

Link knew. 

Rhett’s knees almost buckled, and with shaky legs, he sat on the edge of his bed. There was no other explanation. Link had realized who the song was about. Rhett pushed his hands against his thighs, trying to rid the sticky sweat that was gathering on his palms.

“Link, I – I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. I…” he started. Link whipped around. His mouth was a tight line, and his eyes blazed with anger.

“I can’t – I just can’t believe it! How long have you…? All these years… And to find out like _that_?!“ Link’s voice was rising, and there was a shrill edge to it.

“I should’ve told you. I know that. But you gotta understand… The way we were raised – You know how it was back then. And you… You were so – I thought if I told you…”

“You’re my best friend! You have been that for the past thirty-five years! You honestly thought you couldn’t confide in me?! I – _Fuck,_ Rhett. I don’t even know… Who _are_ you?” Link whispered, voice cracking. Rhett got up and stepped towards him.

Link threw his jacket on the floor with a thud, covered his mouth with his hand, and rushed past Rhett, pushing him out of the way.

“I’m sorry! I am. But I thought – Link, _please_ wait. Let me explain!” Rhett called after him. Link stopped with his hand on the doorknob. His posture was hunched, and his whole body trembled as a sob ripped its way out of him.

“Who was it?” His voice was barely a whisper, and Rhett was sure he’d heard him wrong.

“What?”

“Who was it?” Link repeated, louder, turning around and staring at Rhett with a pained expression. “Who was the guy with _the moon kissed lips_? Did you – ?” Link’s voice cracked, and his eyes slipped closed. “Did you just kiss him, or was there more?”

Rhett stared at Link, mouth hanging open. Link thought…

“No. Wait, Link, no! I wasn’t – there wasn’t…”

“Just tell me. Was it someone I know? I _need_ to know.”

“Please sit down.”

Link still stood at the door, eyes closed, trembling. “Tell me,” he repeated.

“I will,” Rhett promised. “Just sit down.”

Link moved slowly, dragging his feet, avoiding Rhett’s gaze, and sat on his bed. Rhett took a deep breath and grabbed his guitar.

“What are you –?” Link tried to ask, but Rhett silenced him with a hand gesture.

“Just listen.” He strummed the guitar, trying to remember the chords. The lyrics were etched into his mind. He would have no trouble remembering those. That stupid song. Why had he ever uploaded it into the internet was still beyond him. Link shifted on the bed, opening his mouth, about to say something, but when Rhett began to sing, he fell silent and listened.

_“It was like ice burning_

_In the dead of the night_

_It was the blue that made me fall_

_The blue of his eyes_

_Lips red and moon kissed_

_Made me so weak_

_But it was the blue that got me_

_And threw me into the deep_

_And I wished – oh how I wished_

_He was mine_

_That night we drank_

_Our strawberry wine_

_You said it had a bite_

_That it burned oh, so bright_

_I laughed and agreed_

_But, baby, I lied_

_Because no amount of wine_

_Could match the burn_

_Of my wish, oh how I yearn_

_That one day_

_You could be mine_

_After that night_

_All I wished from my life_

_Was that one day_

_You would be mine_

_The blue of his eyes still burns_

_Oh so bright_

_Years have gone by_

_And I’m still by his side_

_Even though he’s not mine_

_The torch that I carry_

_Still has a flame as bright_

_As it was that night_

_And baby,_

_I still wish you were mine_

_Just like that night_

_When we drank_

_The bottle of sweet_

_Strawberry wine”_

Rhett settled his palm over the strings of the guitar to silence it and slowly lifted his gaze to Link.

“Oh,” Link whispered, lips parted and eyes round.

“Yeah.”

Link got up and walked to the huge picture window showcasing a view of the city lights. Rhett put away the guitar and sat back down on his bed. He tried to find words. Something to say, to explain. But what else was there to say? Nothing. Now Link knew, and Rhett just had to deal with whatever the consequences would be.

The silence stretched, and Rhett got lost in his memories. When Link finally spoke, it jarred Rhett into the present, making him jump and kick-starting his heart into an anxious flutter. 

“The wine was horrible,” Link said. Rhett chuckled.

“It was.”

“I almost kissed you that night.”

Rhett’s heart missed a beat. 

“What?” He’d gotten up without realizing it. Link’s back was still turned. Rhett walked up to him and with a trembling hand, touched his arm to make him turn.

“Please, say that again,” Rhett whispered. Link still refused to look at him, his gaze firmly trained on the burgundy carpet of the hotel room.

“I’d wanted to, for years. And I almost did. But…” He finally lifted his gaze and looked Rhett in the eyes.

“But?” Rhett coaxed him on.

“I was a coward. I was afraid of rejection… Of losing you. I –” Link’s voice broke, and he turned his face away again. Rhett gently grabbed his chin and lifted it up. Link’s eyes were glistening with a film of tears, and he gave Rhett a small, apologetic smile. One lone tear spilled over and rolled down his cheek. Rhett brushed it away and with a trembling voice said:

“We were both cowards.” 

Rhett cupped Link’s cheek, and his thumb slowly brushed along Link’s lower lip. Link’s lips parted, and he let out a stuttering gasp. Rhett wondered if the beating of Link’s heart was as wild as his was. They stood close, bodies almost touching. Link closed his eyes for a beat and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, their icy flare almost burned a hole into Rhett’s stomach. 

“I’m not a coward anymore,” Link whispered before grabbing Rhett’s collar and rising on his tiptoes. 

And as their lips met for the first time, Rhett could have sworn that there was a faint taste of strawberry wine.


End file.
